Dusty Old Bar

Characters: Kusanagi and Mikoto

Place: Homra Bar

Time: Kusanagi is 18 and Mikoto is 16

The jingle of keys echoed through the dark empty bar. The door opened and Izumo Kusanagi stood there as he pulled the keys from the lock. He breathed in the dusty air, "This is it! It's just like I remember." He walked over to the bar and brushed the dust off it. "Ugh. This bar is pretty worn down. I'll have to order a different one."

"Looks like a dump to me." Kusanagi looked in the direction of the voice. His best friend, Suoh Mikoto was leaning on the entryway looking around the dark bar. He scanned the floors, sofas, tables and windows. If it wasn't made out of wood it was red. "I can see why he named the place Homra. Did you're uncle have an obsession with red or something?" Kusanagi laughed, "You're one to talk, Mikoto." He pulled himself onto the counter and jumped down on the other side behind the bar. He called back as he brushed off the shelves, "Or have you failed to look in a mirror lately?" Mikoto walked in, shut the door, and ran his fingers through his bright red hair. He shot a few skeptical glances at some of the features of the bar and leaned against the counter as his friend brushed off the shelves with much care. Kusanagi had traces of excitement in his voice, "I used to help my uncle run this place as a kid. I mean it's a little outdated but we can fix that. I mean I can picture the place filled with patrons. I'll be the best bartender in the city. You will have your own personal table, of course. And I'll have to reserve a seat for someone special. He let out a wink."

"Izumo, stop trying to convince me you are a womanizer. I know you too well."

"Hey, I have had plenty of girlfriends."

"No. You've gone on plenty of first dates and then the chick never calls you back."

"Well, I don't exactly see you with a bunch of dames around your arms."

"Not interested." Mikoto turned and faced away. He leaned back on the bar and continued to glance about the room. Kusanagi jumped onto the bar and slung his legs around until he was sitting beside his friend. "Those days are over, Mikoto. I actually have a girl chasing me right now!"

"You sure she is chasing you?" Kusanagi elbowed Mikoto's arm. "I'm serious! You know that blonde chick over at the posh high school. The one on their student council?"

"Oh yea. That really uptight one?"

"Yea. I passed her on the street while it was raining and offered to walk her home under my umbrella."

"And she agreed?" Mikoto glanced at him with a doubtful expression. Kusanagi avoided looking directly at him. "Well, she may have insisted she was fine at first, but I insisted to walk her home."

"Oh yea," Mikoto responded with a sarcastic tone, "that will convince her you're not a stalker."

"Come on, Man, there is nothing wrong with trying to be smooth sometimes."

"I don't like her, Izumo. She's too cold."

"Well you are not the brightest beam of sunshine yourself, but we still hang out."

"I mean for you. If my best friend is going to be with someone, it's not going to be some heartless woman." Kusanagi sat silent for just a moment. Then muttered, "That's the first time you called me your best friend. Ya know?" Mikoto just grunted and shrugged. The two boys knew that they were best friends and always had been, but it wasn't in their nature to express feelings like that. To break the awkward silence, Kusanagi hopped off the counter and started walking around the bar. "We will put fish tanks in here to liven the place up a bit. I want nothing but the best on those shelves. Maybe I could get a new bar imported. One with a history, that would be rustic. I guess the red is ok. There are a few rooms upstairs and a lounge back there. I might as well work on those first since I'm going to live here-"

"You're going to live here?"

"Why not?" Kusanagi looked at his friend. Mikoto shrugged, "I just think you would get bored."

"Well... you wanna do something about it, Mikoto?"

"Eh?"

"I mean why don't you come with me. You know we would make some killer roommates." Mikoto looked around the dusty old bar then back to his friend who was wearing a genuine grin. He liked seeing Kusanagi excited like this. "I'll think about it."

"Cool... I don't know why Mikoto, but I feel like this place is going to be something special one day."

Don't forget to review and tell me what characters you want to read more about.

Next Time: Yata and Fushimi's first dare by their Homra comrades get's them in a lot of trouble with a dangerous gang.